1. Early life
Benoît Ntambue Badiashile Mukinayi Baya was born on March 26, 2001, in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France. He is of Congolese descent. Badiashile began his football journey in 2007 at his hometown club, Limoges FC. In 2008, he moved to SC Malesherbes where he continued his youth development. His talent was recognized by AS Monaco FC, and he joined their youth academy in 2016, continuing his progression within a professional club structure.
2. Club career
Benoît Badiashile's professional club career began with AS Monaco FC, where he progressed through their youth ranks before making his senior debut. He later transferred to Chelsea F.C. in the Premier League.
2.1. Youth career
Badiashile's foundational training and early football experiences were shaped by his time in various youth academies. He started playing football in 2007 with Limoges FC. In 2008, he transferred to SC Malesherbes, where he played until 2016. That same year, in July, he joined the youth setup of AS Monaco FC, a significant step in his development towards professional football.
2.2. Monaco
On February 5, 2018, Badiashile signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco FC. He made his highly anticipated professional debut on November 11, 2018, in a Ligue 1 match against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. which Monaco lost by a score of 4-0. Despite the result, Badiashile immediately became a regular starter at centre-back for Monaco after his debut. During his initial season, he featured in two matches in the UEFA Champions League, played four times in the Coupe de France, and made 20 appearances in Ligue 1, scoring one goal. His consistent presence in the starting lineup continued into the 2019-20 season. On December 19, 2019, Monaco extended his contract until 2024, reflecting the club's confidence in his potential and contributions.
Badiashile also featured for Monaco's reserve team, AS Monaco FC II, playing in the Championnat National 2. He made 3 appearances in the 2017-18 season and 9 appearances in the 2018-19 season for Monaco II. His performances for the main team over subsequent seasons included significant contributions, playing 35 matches and scoring 2 goals in the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season, and 24 matches with 1 goal in the 2021-22 season, which also saw him make 10 appearances in European competitions (four in the UEFA Champions League and six in the UEFA Europa League). In the first half of the 2022-23 season, he played in 11 Ligue 1 matches, scoring 2 goals, and made 5 appearances in the UEFA Europa League before his transfer.
2.3. Chelsea
On January 5, 2023, Badiashile completed a transfer to Premier League club Chelsea F.C., signing a seven-and-a-half-year contract. The transfer fee for his move was widely reported as 32.70 M GBP (approximately 37.00 M EUR), or 41.00 M USD. He made his debut for Chelsea on January 15, 2023, starting in a Premier League match against Crystal Palace F.C.. Badiashile played the entire game, contributing to a 1-0 victory and helping his new club secure a clean sheet. He continued to be a part of Chelsea's defense, playing 11 Premier League matches and scoring 1 goal in the remainder of the 2022-23 season. In the 2023-24 season, he made 18 Premier League appearances, 2 FA Cup appearances, and 2 EFL Cup appearances, scoring 1 goal in the latter. For the 2024-25 season, he has so far played in 4 Premier League matches, 2 EFL Cup matches, and 6 UEFA Conference League matches.
3. International career
Badiashile has been a consistent presence in the French national youth team setup since 2016, representing his country across various age groups. He has played for the U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, and U-21 teams. For the U-16 team, he made 5 appearances in 2016. With the U-17 squad, he played 6 matches between 2017 and 2018. He gained 2 caps for the U-18 team in 2018 and was a significant player for the U-19 team, making 18 appearances between 2018 and 2019, including participating in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Since 2020, he has made 16 appearances for the U-21 team.
Badiashile received his first call-up to the senior France national football team in September 2022. He was selected for two UEFA Nations League matches against Austria and Denmark. His debut for the senior team came on September 22, 2022, when he started and played the full match against Austria.
4. Playing style
Benoît Badiashile is primarily known for his role as a centre-back, characterized by his strategic movement and excellent passing abilities. He often chooses to move forward and collaborate with wingers by delivering long passes, which allows him to initiate attacks directly from the defensive line. His proficiency in ball distribution makes him a crucial player in building offensive plays from the back. Standing at 76 in (194 cm) and weighing 165 lb (75 kg), he possesses the physical attributes that complement his tactical contributions on the field. He is left-footed.
5. Personal life
Benoît Badiashile is the younger brother of Loïc Badiashile, who is also a professional footballer. Loïc plays as a goalkeeper.
6. Career statistics
6.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Monaco II | 2017-18 | Championnat National 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2018-19 | Championnat National 2 | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 12 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||||||
| Monaco | 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 2019-20 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | - | 39 | 2 | ||||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | - | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | - | 16 | 2 | |||
| Total | 106 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 | - | 135 | 6 | |||
| Chelsea | 2022-23 | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2023-24 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2024-25 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 2 | ||
| Career total | 151 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 192 | 8 | ||
6.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
7. Honours
Individual
- IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) World Team: 2021